Bias in Studies

When Palo Alto officials asked for an independent study of Fire Department staffing, they had no idea the analysis would be performed by a veteran firefighter who belongs to the International Association of Fire Chiefs and who has never recommended staffing reductions for any of his previous projects.

These facts came out at the Tuesday night meeting of the City Council’s Finance Committee, which was hearing an update on the highly anticipated “standards of coverage” study. The council had hoped to use the new study during its upcoming contract negotiations with the firefighters’ union, but after hearing from the project consultant Tuesday, the committee’s hopes largely dissolved into buyer’s remorse.

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In the 5th Edition of “A View From The Press Box” I feature a few photos from Monday night’s City Council meeting (Feb. 3) This recent meeting lasted less than three hours, making it the quickest council this year so far. Despite its length, the meeting featured plenty of debate on several hot button issues […]

In the 4th Edition of “A View From The Press Box” I feature a few photos from Monday night’s City Council meeting (Jan. 21) Similar to the council’s first gathering earlier this month, the meeting lasted nearly five hours and featured plenty of debate on several hot button issues such as development, parking and the […]

In the 3rd Edition of “A View From The Press Box” I feature a few photos from the first official City Council meeting held Jan. 13. The meeting, which lasted nearly five hours, featured extensive discussion on how development is impacting the downtown. A View From The Press Box will feature occasional photos that I […]

In the 2nd Edition of “A View From The Press Box” I feature a few photos I was able to snap during the Jan. 9 work session between the Planning Board, Historic District Commission and Economic Development Commission. The work session involved the highly anticipated North End Project, which involves a WholeFoods, a hotel, conference […]

Welcome to a new series I’ll be kicking off here on the Portsmouth City Blog. A View From The Press Box will feature occasional photos that I take right from my seat in the Press Box at Portsmouth City Hall. I must spend hours upon hours sitting in Council Chambers covering everything from council business […]

Want to know how many DWI arrests local police made in Fiscal Year 2013? How about how many fire calls the Fire Department responded to? For answers to these questions and more check out the city’s FY13 Annual Report at http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/annualreport/AnnualReport2013.pdf […]

With the holiday’s fast approaching, here is some useful information that may help you as you attempt to navigate downtown Portsmouth looking for that elusive parking space. 1. Visit www.parkportsmouth.com for anything and everything to do with parking in Portsmouth, NH. 2. Beginning Dec. 16, motorists will be allowed to park for free at all […]

The Portsmouth Health Food Store is endorsing a specific slate of candidates in the upcoming City Council election. The candidates were selected based on their “deep commitment to Smart Development and preservation of the city’s historic character” Candidates endorsed by PHF include: Esther Kennedy, Bob Lister, Ken Smith, Jim Splaine, Jack Thorsen, Joe Calda […]